Peter Hain and Mitchell Reiss met in London

Speaking after Tuesday's meeting in London Mr Hain said America was a "powerful partner" in the efforts for peace in Northern Ireland.

He said they would meet all the province's political groups to lock in long term stability.

"We are both partners for peace, our two governments, in driving forward the peace process," he said.

Mr Reiss said that his government would do all that it could to try to bring a lasting peace to the province.

"The goal is the same as it has always been to try and bring peace to the people of Northern Ireland who for so long have wanted it so much," he said.

Further talks

"And everything that I can do, that the Bush administration can do, that the President can do in order to assist, we will do so, and I think we're off to a very good start today."

Mr Reiss will also meet unionist and nationalist politicians in Belfast this week.

Also on Tuesday, the government said it would continue its efforts to revive devolution in Northern Ireland.

The Queen's Speech confirmed the government would "work to bring about the conditions necessary for the restoration of political institutions in Northern Ireland".

Last week Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was hopeful the political deadlock could be broken.

His statement followed the general election, which saw the DUP increase its number of seats in the House of Commons to nine, while the UUP's fell to one.

Sinn Fein won five seats, but its links with the IRA have scuppered chances of unionists forming a coalition with republicans.

Meanwhile, the Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, has said he believes the IRA has begun an internal consultation process on ending paramilitarism, criminality and decommissioning its weapons.

He said he hoped the result of the consultation would allow the parties to move ahead with, what he called "the political project".

Mr Ahern was speaking in the Polish capital, Warsaw, where he is attending a summit meeting of the Council of Europe.